James M. Talent: “I rise today just for a few moments to offer a few words in honor of the life of Pope John Paul II. Much has been said…”

“I rise today just for a few moments to offer a few words in honor of the life of Pope John Paul II. Much has been said this week, and will be said this week, about his life. I want to pay tribute to him on behalf of all the Missourians who are mourning his passing this week. The Pope left an indelible mark on the history of mankind and, indeed, of the world. I think the title of George Weigel's biography captured the Pope's work the best. He called him ``A Witness To Hope.'' The moral clarity his leadership provided helped spread democracy and justice around a world that desperately needed it. But even more than that, he brought faith and hope to the empty, to the hopeless, to the last and the least among us. He was a faithful servant of God, an inspiration to Missourians, to countries and cultures around the world. Certainly he was an inspiration to me. One of the greatest honors I have had in all my years in public life was the opportunity to meet him when he visited Missouri 6 years ago. As we mourn the Pope's passing, we celebrate his spiritual leadership. I want to say, also, we should celebrate his qualities which most impressed me in the brief moment I had to meet him at that time--I mean his humanness, his courage, his works. Those works for years to come will continue giving people hope for the next world and better lives in this one.”